Press.



Patented Aug. I5, 1899.

No. 630,9I8.

J. W. MCOUEEN.

PRESS.

,Application led July 14, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet No. 630,9la.

Patented Aug. l5, |899. J. w. McuuEEN.

P R E S S.

(Application med July 14, 189B.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,.

(No Model.)

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u l I! r lill-"m NrTnD STATES PATENT Ori-rice;

JAMES lV. MCQUEEN, AOF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO` HORATIO XVIGLE, OF RUTHVEN, CANADA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,918, dated August 15, 1899.

Application filed July 14,1898. Serial No- 685,941. (No model.)

To (LZ-Z whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES NV. MCQUEEN, a citizen of the nited States, residing at Detroit, in the county of .Vayne and State of 5 Michigam'have invented a new and useful Press, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to presses, and particularly to a machine for compressing into to blocks or other compact portable bricks such materials as irish turf, Irish bog, muck, the., which may then be used as fuel; and the object in view is to provide a simple, durable, and efficient construction and arrangement of parts particularly adapted for pressing materials of the class named.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a side view of a press constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vert-ical sectional view in the plane of the driving-shaft. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the lateral compressing-jaws. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line i t of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the machine, showing a slightly-modified construcgo tion of means for communicating motion to the lateral plunger-jaws.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

3 5 From a suitable base 1 rise standards 2 for supporting a horizontal frame 3, and in turn rising from said frame is a superstructure consisting of upwardly-convergent beams et, suitably connected at their upper ends and at intermediate points and having interposed diagonal braces 5. Mounted in bearings at the upper end of the superstructure or upper frameis a driving-shaft 6,carryin g one or more belt-pulleys 7 and a fly or balance wheel 8 and having a crank 9, which may be duplicated to provide for the operation of ltwo or more machines from the same driving-shaft. This shaft receives its motion from a piston 10, operating in a cylinder l1, supported by the frame 3, the piston-rod 12 being connected with a cross-head 13, operating in a suitable guide 1i, and a connecting-rod 15 being disposed to connect said cross head with the crank 9. Also indicated without reference to special construction is valve mechanism 16 5 5 to control the admission of motive iiuid to the piston-cylinder, such valve mechanism forming no part of my present invention.

The base 1 is provided, in alinement with the piston-rod 12, (which I will hereinafter re- 6o fer to as a plunger-rod, in that it receives reciprocatory motion in a fixed path by means of a cylinder-piston or any equivalent means adapted for that purpose,) with a die-seat 17, in which is removably fitted a die 18, said die in the construction illustrated being exteriorly tapered to fit the seat, and supported by the upper surface of the base is a packinghopper 19, having downwardly contracted walls and communicating at its center with 7o the tubular die-opening 20, said die-opening being of even diameter throughout. The hopper is preferably attached to the die for removal therewith from the base and may, if preferred, be constructedintegral therewith, although in the drawings it is illustrated as being constructed as a separate part.

In the hopper 19 are arranged lateral packing-jaws 2l, of which the inner or operative faces are concaved and combine, when the 8o jaws are at the limit of their inward movement, to form a cylindrical openin g, which is approximately equal in diameter with the die-opening 20. These packing-jaws are adapted for radial reciprocation with relation to the dieopening 20,and simple means for actuating the same consist of outward extensions orarms 22, connected, pivotally or otherwise, with connecting-levers 23, which are pivotally mounted at their upper ends upon the plunger-bar 9o 12 and are mounted at intermediate points upon swinging links 24, supported by the frame 3. Obviously as the plunger rises or is withdrawn from the plane of the base 1 the inner or adjacent ends of the levers 23 travel 95 in fixed vertical paths parallel witlit-he plunger-bar, and thereby swing the lower ends of said levers inwardly and carry the jaws toward the center of the die to press interposed material laterally. This construction conroo templates the fixed pivotal connection between the upper ends of the levers 23 and the plunger-bar and a movable fulcrum at intermediate points of said levers due to the swinging links 24; but it will be understood that an obvious modification of this construction may consist, as illustrated in Fig. 5, of brackets 24, depending from the frame 3, levers 23, mounted at intermediate points upon said brackets, and a sliding connection consisting of slots 23b in the levers and pins 23C on the brackets, whereby motion may be communicated to the levers 23a to cause the reciprocation of the lateral plunger-jaws 2l, said levers being pivoted to the plunger.

In the preferred construction illustrated in Figs. l to Llfour lateral jaws 2l are illustrated, the face of each having an angular extent of ninety degrees or a quadrant, and the pivotal connection of the stem, shank, or extension 22 of each jaw with the operating-lever 23 allows the enlarged or weighted inner end thereof to travel radiall)T upon the downwardly and inwardly inclined wall of the hopper 19. Also carried by the plunger-bar is a follower orvpunch 25, which may be of any diameter and of such construction with relation to the die as to enter the opening or bore thereof when the plunger-bar descends. Thus during the reciprocation of the plunger-bar the upward movement thereof causes the inward movement of the lateral plunger-jaws and the transverse compression of material which has previously been introduced into the hopper, while during the downward movement of the plunger-bar the follower or punch forces the said material into the die-opening 20, and thus molds the material to form iire-kindlers or briquets of portable size and compactness.

In connection with the above described mechanism I employ feeding devices for depositing material to be pressed in the presshopper 19, such feeder consisting of a tubular conveyer 26, a revoluble feed-spindle 27, having connection with a belt-wheel 28, which is traversed by a belt 29, extending from one of the pulleys 7 on the driving or main shaft 6. At its inner or outlet end the conveyer 26 is provided with a chute 30 for directing the material into the space between the lateral plunger-jaws 2l, and the feed-shaft is provided with spirally-disposed feed-wings 31 to advance the material through the conveyer from a feed-hopper 32 to said chute, whereby during the operation of the machine the feeding of material is continuous and it is simply necessary to supply the feed-hopper 32 either manually or by suitable mechanism forming no part of my present invention.

An importantfeature of the mechanism illustrated and described consists in the removable application of the follower or punch 25 to the end of the plunger-bar l2 for movement in alinement therewith, said plunger-bar carryinga piston lO, by which it is actuated, the cylinder in which the plunger operates being preferably arranged in a vertical position in alinement with the bore of the die 18.

A further advantage of the construction described resides in the fact that the transverse compressing devices or the jaws 2l operate alternately with an axial compressing device, such as the follower or punch 25,whereby during the movement of the plunger-bar in one direction the material occupying the press proper is compressed laterally or transversely, while during the movement of said plungerbar in the opposite direction the said material is forced into the bore, of the die.

It will be understood, furthermore, that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In apress of the class described, the combination of a hollow die, a hopper communicating with the bore of the die, areciprocable follower or punch for movement in alinement with the die, lateral compressing -jaws for transverse movement within the hopper toward and from the path of the followerl or punch, and means for operating said follower and jaws, substantially as specified.

2. In a press of the class described, the combination of a hollow die, a hopper in communication with the bore of the die, a reciprocable follower or punch for movement in alinement with the die, lateral compressing-jaws for radial movement toward and from the path of the follower or punch, and adapted at their inner ends to traverse the iioor of the hopper, and means for operating said follower and jaws, substantially as specified.

In a press of the class described, the combination of a hollow die, a hopper communieating with the bore of the die, a reciprocable follower or punch for movement in alinement with the die, lateral compressing-jaws for radial movement toward and from the path of the follower or punch and having concavefaced inner ends which traverse the floor of the hopper, and means for operating said follower and jaws, substantially as specified.

4. In a press of the class described, the combination of a hollow die, a reciprocable follower or punch for movement in alinement with the die, a hopper communicating with the die, lateral compressingjaws for radial movement toward and from the path of the follower or punch and having concaved inner faces, combining to formv a passage in alinement and communicating with the bore of the die, and means for operating said follower and jaws, substantially as specified.

5. In a press of the class described, the cornbination of a hollow die, a hopper communieating with the bore of the die and having a centrally depressed floor, a plunger-bar mounted for reciprocatory movement in alinementrwith the bore of the die, a follower or punch carried by the plunger-bar, lateral IOO IIO

zzo,

compressing-jaws mounted within the hopper for radial movement with relation to the path of the follower or punch, and also for oblique movement toward and from the depressed center of the oor of the hopper to adapt them to traverse said floor throughout their paths, and connections between said jaws and the plunger-bar, substantially as specified.

G. In a p ress of the class described, the combination with a hollow die, a hopper communicating with the bore of the die, a reciprocatory plunger-bar mounted for movement in alinement with the bore of the die, and afollower or punch carried by the plunger-bar, of pivotally-mounted lateral compressing-jaws for radial movement toward and from the path of the follower or punch and adapted to traverse the Hoor of the hopper, and means for operating said compressing-jaws alternately with relation to the follower or punch, substantially as specified.

7. In a press of the class described, the combination with a hollow die, a reciprocatory plunger-bar, and a follower or punch carried by the plunger-bar for operation in alin ement with the bore of the die, of lateral compressing-jaws mounted for radial reciprocatory movement with relation to the path of the follower or punch, operating.- levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to the plungerbar and at their lower ends to outward extensions of the compressing-jaws, and swinging suspendingdinks upon which said levers are intermediately fulcrumed, substantially as specified.

8. In a press of the class described, the combination of a hollow die, ahopper inlcommunication with the bore of the die and having a downwardly-contracted wall, a reciprocatory follower or punch mounted for movement in alinement with the bore of the die, lateral compressing-jaws traversing the wall of the hopper in radial paths with relation to the path of the follower or punch, and means for communicating motion to said follower and jaws, substantially as speciedt i 9. In a press of the class described, the comL bination with a hollow die, a reciprocatory plunger-bar, and a follower or punch carried by the plunger-bar for operation in alinement with the bore of the die, of lateral compressing-jaws mounted for radial reciprocatory movement with relation to the path of the follower or punch, and operating-levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to the plunger-bar and at their lower ends to outward extensions of the compressing-jaws, said levers having intermediate shifting fulcrums, substantially asspeciied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses` l JAS. W. MCQUEEN.

Witnesses:

R. P. LANGSHEAD, C. D. McDoNALD. 

